Project Bob and Alice has been terminated. Bob and Alice are robots with instructions to actively barter books, balls, hats, and a few other small items. With no rewards or incentives, the two robots began. According to Facebook, Bob and Alice’s communications evolved into a sort of shorthand. Because no one could decipher the new language, they pulled the plug.

Facebook researchers attribute the shut down to divergent programming. It’s clear to them that Bob and Alice were not bartering anymore, at least there was no way to tell. The language had the barter words contained in the messages. However, the details of the barter were not clear from the robots shorthand.

The chats are records that will remain a critical step in the technological development

Elon Musk from Tesla and Sam Altman from Y Combinator are currently participating in the same kind of work. My guess is it’s more of a competition to see who can do it first. Musk said he was skeptical about the robot chat. For many, developing robots to be autonomous is a remarkable accomplishment. For others, it is a reminder of how humans can lose control.

Chatbots have the potential to replace every living person you might know who has a phone. Answering calls for any order could now be done with a chatbot. From ordering food from a restaurant or making all kinds of appointments. We all know and appreciate how wonderful it is to speak to an automated secretary that keeps you going in a loop looking for the correct department. You will never have a person on the other end of the line, ever again.

Besides the added orders platform, Facebook is supercharging ahead with a chatbots messenger application. The goal is to get 1.2 billion people to use the new app. Facebook and I are positive Tesla, and Y Combinator is all in competition to come up with the first app that will do all our work for us.

Millennials are currently in a conundrum of how to relate in a world that is based on everything technological. People walk around lonely and disassociated. Furthermore, there is an entire culture where people live solely on their smart phones and don’t have many opportunities for contact. Moreover, now our social media leaders want to contribute to this problem.

Facebook, Tesla, Y Combinator and others might enjoy padding their pockets with money without concern about the current culture they contribute. There is a responsibility that goes along with business and persuasive mass media. Although, no one seems to notice or care.

Robots are interesting and useful, but programs can never replace people.